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TRANSCRIPT
K. SCHIPPER: Hi, I’m K. Schipper with another issue of Radio Stone Update.
00:08
The International Surface Event – TISE – and an industry group of stone fabrication equipment manufacturers announce a partnership to make the StonExpo segment of the show a strong U.S showcase.
The Stone Equipment and Supply Alliance –SESA – reached the agreement with Informa Markets, the owner and manager of TISE, in mid-July. SESA now includes almost 50 companies dealing with stone and hard surface fabrication equipment and supplies.
SESA was formed earlier this year after the manufacturers and suppliers realized they needed to limit their marketing expenses by coordinating and focusing on just one trade show. SESA President Mark Schlough of Park Industries says, “This alliance will improve the show experience for both attendees and exhibitors.
SESA members will bring major equipment only to StonExpo and limit participating at the Coverings tile-and-stone show to smaller booths. At the StonExpo segment of TISE, SESA members will be centralized in one area. Jon Lancto, SESA’s CEO, says the effort by the Natural Stone Institute to ramp up the Natural Stone Pavilion within StonExpo will also complement SESA’s work.
Says Lancto, “I think fabricators are going to be impressed with the number of new natural-stone companies that are signed up for the pavilion.” He adds that some SESA members see the new agreement as saving them enough money that they can get bigger booths and bring more equipment to the show.
SESA’s five-year agreement with Informa will be reviewed after two years. TISE 2022 is scheduled for next Feb. 1-3 in Las Vegas.
01:56
U.S. Customs and Border Protection – or CBP — cited a furniture importer late last month under interim importing measures for allegedly evading Chinese unfair-trade duties when importing quartz-surface-topped vanities.
The company, Simpli Home Ltd., is based in Concord, Ontario, but sells furniture online and distributes through major U.S. retailers. Because of the action, it could face tariff payments of 300 percent to 400 percent. The CBP began an investigation of the products back in March after receiving a complaint from U.S. quartz manufacturer Cambria Company LLC.
Cambria alleges that Simpli Home brought Chinese-made quartz surfaces into the United States by transshipping the material through Vietnam. The surfaces then showed up on cabinets shipped from a supplier located north of Ho Chi Minh City. The complaint was made under the Enforce and Protect Act, which allows companies to investigate possible import violations to bring them to the attention of the U.S. government.
A CBP division investigating Cambria’s allegations asked for documentation in April from Simpli Home. The federal government didn’t get the information, even after extending the deadline for submission. Simpli Home claims it couldn’t get the documents from the manufacturer.
The CBP measures include the suspension of liquidation for any shipments after March 24 that include quartz-surface-topped vanities. In addition, the CBP will investigate any related shipments for a full year prior to that date. The unfair-trade duties, begun in June 2019, specifically include products that include Chinese-made quartz surfaces.
Simpli Home was founded in the early 2000 as an online retailer. It also supplies home furnishings to major U.S. retailers such as Amazon, Best Buy, Home Depot, Macy’s, Staples, Target, Walmart and Wayfair.
03:55
EMERSON SCHWARTZKOPF: This is Emerson Schwartzkopf. In late-breaking news, India-based ASI Industries Ltd. announced on July 27 that it would sell its engineered stone division to Marudhar Rocks International Private Limited, also in India, for approximately $12.6 million dollars. The deal is subject to the approval of shareholders, lenders and other involved parties.
A report on India’s Equity Bulls website noted that the action will allow ASI to reduce debts and achieve a better profitability ratio.
The sale marks an abrupt change for ASI, which had planned the roll-out of its Artizia brand of quartz surfaces for several years. The company, one of the largest quarriers of natural stone in India, saw engineered stone as a progressive expansion.
As part of the Artizia expansion, the company built a brand-new, fully automated plant using Breton® technology near the city of Jaipur. ASI recently notified the Bombay Stock Exchange that it began commercial production at the facility on March 23 of this year.
05:02
K. SCHIPPER: After going virtual during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 Stone Industry Education series returns to a live, in-person audience for the rest of the year. The first back-to-normal seminar was held at UG & M in the Cleveland suburb of Oakwood Village, Ohio, last week.
The remaining monthly events for 2021 will cover topics relevant to stone fabricators, including maximizing shop efficiency and profits, using metrics to measure success, understanding OSHA safety regulations, and creating a plan for finding and retaining top talent.
Stone Summits are facilitated by a team of experienced industry leaders, including GK Naquin, Duane Naquin and Tony Malisani. Each event includes time for networking and group discussion focused on business management, technical issues and marketing. The next session will be the Pennsylvania Stone Summit on Aug. 5 at MSI in Hatboro, Pa.
The Stone Industry Education sessions are a joint production of the Natural Stone Institute and Stone World magazine. For a complete schedule and a full list of sponsors, go to www.stoneindustryeducation.com
06:18
Honorees at the 2021 Coverings Installation & Design – or CID – Awards include five stone projects. The projects were honored as part of this year’s Coverings show, which took place earlier this month in Orlando, Fla.
The CID Awards celebrate outstanding achievements in the design and installation of tile and stone in both residential and commercial projects. The submissions were judged on tile and stone execution, original usage, overall design and purpose. Jennifer Hoff, president of Taffy Event Strategies LLC, the show management company for Coverings, called the number of submissions a testament to the resiliency and strength of the tile and stone industry.
Stone winners include:
n For commercial stone design, Stereoscope Coffee in Newport Beach, Calif.;
n For residential stone design, a Brooklyn townhouse renovation;
n For commercial stone installation, Legacy Union in Charlotte, N.C.;
n For residential stone installation, Villa Florence, a project in Los Angeles, and;
n For special recognition of an international project, the Pride of Muslims Mosque in Shali, Chechnya, Russia
Projects were judged by a panel of editors and industry leaders. All 2021 CID winners will be featured in the July-August issue of Stone Update Magazine. You can learn more about the CID Awards at www.coverings.com/cid-awards.
In other industry news…
7:57
The Natural Stone Institute provided natural stone and fabrication services for the 37th home built through the Gary Sinise Foundation and its Restoring Independence Supporting Empowerment – or R.I.S.E. – program. Triton Stone Group, Coldspring, True Blue Surfaces and Quality Stone company all contributed to the home, in Boerne, Texas, that was recently presented to U.S. Army Capt. (Ret.) Juan Guerrero and his family. Guerrero and his family immigrated to the United States from Peru and he joined the military shortly after graduating from high school. A veteran of the Gulf War in 1990, Guerrero was serving his third tour of duty in Iraq when his convey was hit by an explosively formed penetrator, or EFP, in 2007, severely injuring his lower legs. In 2010, his right leg was amputated as the result of those injuries, and four years later he lost his left leg to cancer. Companies interested in getting involved with future RISE projects are urged to visit www.naturalstoneinstitute.org/RISE.
09:06
Knoxville, Tenn.-based BB Industries has hired David Bowman to the newly created position of Business Analyst. Rick Stimac, BB Industries CEO and president, says having the right data and strategic direction is extremely important to the growth of BB Industries. Bowman comes to the company with more than 20 years of experience as a business analyst working with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the U.S. Department of Energy.
09:36
A five-category product-use classification on slip resistance of hard-surface flooring is on its way to being included in ANSI standards. The Tile Council of North America — the TCNA — made the proposal for manufacturers to define usage as part of ANSI A326.3. The five categories developed by the ANSI Accredited Standards Committee A108 are: Interior, Dry; Interior, Wet; Interior Wet Plus; Exterior; and Oils/Greases. TCNA Executive Director Eric Astrachan says use of the classification system will provide architects, specifiers, and interior designers the information they need to choose hard surface flooring products appropriate to their intended areas of use.
Remember: You can keep up with all the trends in stone, quartz and porcelain imports with our monthly magazine, Hard Surfaces Report. And, for notes on this episode and a full transcript, go to radiostoneupdate.com.
I’m K. Schipper for Radio Stone Update and we’ll see you here again soon.
